From Auschwitz to Mauthausen

As the Soviet army approached, the Nazi leadership evacuated Auschwitz and sent tens of thousands of prisoners to camps in Germany. All prisoners who were still able to walk had to leave. Peter felt that he had a good chance of surviving the march because he was reasonably fit. After an arduous journey of eight days, Peter and other prisoners arrived at the Mauthausen concentration camp. There, the hard labour in the underground factory of the Melk satellite camp took its toll. In April 1945, Peter fell ill and ended up in the sick barracks.